Published: Nov 17, 2018, 10:07 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 17, 2018, 10:05 AM (IST)
West Indies batting might finally came to the fore as the home team pummelled Sri Lanka by 83 runs to book a berth in the semi-final of the ICC Women’s World T20. West Indies’ top three combined to score 152 runs to give the team a total of 187/5, in reply to which Sri Lanka could only muster 104 before being bowled out in the 18th over with Hayley Mathews finishing with 3 for 16.
That would not remain Mathews’ only contribution in the match though. Opening the innings, Matthews and Deandra Dottin fired West India to an opening stand of 94, 72 of which came inside the Powerplay. Matthews struck eight fours and two sixes while Dottin helped herself to eight boundaries of her own. Oshadi Ranasinghe provided the first breakthrough for Sri Lanka getting Matthews out for 62, but by then she had brought up her half-century – off 25 deliveries.
Her dismissal was followed by the exit of Dottin, falling one short of what would have been her 10th T20I half-century. Skipper Stefanie Taylor arrived at the fall of Dottin’s wicket and ensured West Indies did not throw away the effort produced by their top order. She smoked 41 off 25 deliveries to get West Indies to their eventual score with 21 fours and six sixes hit in the innings.
Sri Lanka’s beginning wasn’t nearly half as good as their opponents. Chamari Athapaththu continue to fight with a 35-ball 44, while Nilakshi de Silva and Hasini Perera were the other scorers who could enter double digits. Barring Shamila Connell, every West Indies bowler was rewarded with a wicket as Sri Lanka’s batting crumbled under the mountain of a stiff asking rate. Matthews broke the middle order with the wickets of de Silva, Ama Kanchana and Ranasinghe.
Brief Scores: West Indies 187/5 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 62, Deandra Dottin 49, Stafanie Taylor 41; Oshadi Ranasinghe 1-21) beat Sri Lanka 104 in 17.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 44; Hayley Matthews 3-16) by 83 runs.
